Ensuring High Food Safety Standards In Your Bakery
Food safety and hygiene levels are essential parts running a bakery. Keeping your food hygiene levels high will avoid breaking safety regulations as well as preventing outbreaks of bacteria and illnesses. These regulations are put in place by the ‘Food Standards Agency’ which is a government department which holds the purpose of protecting the health of the public.

Layout
When starting up a food business, it is essential to take time to plan your layout. The layout and location of your store itself and the placement of the machinery inside the store will all be determining factors of pest control and contamination. Research into what locations are high-risk pest areas and make sure that the location is designed to deal with issues like pollution and pest control.
Cleaning Processes
Implement official cleaning processes to your store to avoid bacteria build up. This may include disinfecting machinery and food preparation areas. Ensure that these are followed daily to prevent the risk of rodents, insects, bacteria and illnesses to spread.
Food Waste
Disposing of food waste can be the biggest driving factor in attracting pests to your store. It is essential that when disposing of food waste, your store has the appropriate equipment to do so. For example, secure waste bags and containers, a dedicated storage area that is protected, implementing correct food waste procedures for staff.

Personal Hygiene
All personal hygiene taken by members of staff should be of a high standard. Bacteria is easily spread and can multiply from anywhere. It is important that all staff are aware of the personal hygiene measures before, during and after working to ensure that food is kept as clean, fresh and free of bacteria. The ‘Food Standards Agency’ have basic procedures in place for all businesses to follow which are:
- Hand washing
- Minimise direct contact between hands and food
- Personal hygiene – such as covering hair, no jewellery, covering broken skin such as cuts etc.
- Wearing appropriate protective clothing
- Unwell staff should not work until well again
Food Storage
Another important factor to consider when following food safety regulations, is to ensure that your food is stored properly. One of the main factors driving food waste, is poor food storage which leads to rotting. Consider these factors when storing food:
- Temperature
- Humidity
- Hygiene of transportation
- Clean containers and packages
